Improvement in accordions



UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

CARL FRIEDRICH ZIMMERMANN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

IMPROVEMENT IN ACCORDIONS.

Specication forming pa rt of Letters Patent No. 56,3 19, dated July 10, 1360.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CARL F. ZIMMEEMANN, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Accordions; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art .to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a front elevation of this invention. Fig. l* is a diagram showing` the value or pitch of the tones governed by the upper or treble keys of my instrument. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of this invention. Fig. 2* is a diagram showing the value or pitch of the bass keys of my instrument. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the air-chamber of one of my instruments, showing the mechanism for changing the key. Fig. 4 isa horizontal section of the same. Fig. 5 is a partial lon gitudinal section of one half, and Fig. 6 a similar section of the other half, of the air-chamber. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the tones produced in expanding and compressing an instrument of the ordinary construction. Fig.

is a similar diagram for my improved instrument.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention consists in placing between the keys of the various octaves, severally, a distinguishing-key, which gives the same tone in drawing and in compressing, in such a manner that the player is enabled to feel the various octaves: with the greatest ease, and a uniform arrangement of the keys throughout the entire range of the instrument is rendered practicable.

My accordion, which Iterm the Union Accordion,77 distinguishes itself from all others by the peculiar position of its tones and of its keys. In all accordions heretofore made and known to me the tones obtained by drawing are different jin: thepgpdifferent octaves, while those obtained by compressing are uniform throughout the entire range of the instrument. For instance, by drawing, in the rst octave, the tones 2, 4, and 6, in the second the tones S 2 4, in the third the tones 6 8 2, and in the fourth the tones 4 6 2 are obtained, as indicated in Fig. 7, while by compressing, in every octave, the tones 1 3 5 are obtained.

rlhis variety of the tones obtained by drawing renders it very difficult to learn the accordion, and very few persons have the patience to practice long enough to attain a tolerable perfection.

In my instrument this difficulty is obviated by arranging the tones as shown in Fig. 7*, which shows that the tones, both in drawing and in compressing, are uniform throughout the entire range of the instrument, this object being obtained by placing the sixth on a separate key, which produces the same sound both in drawing and compressing.

The simplest style of accordions made according to my invention are tuned so as to give the common chord of C-viz.,l 3 5-in compressing, and the dominant seventh, S 2 4, in drawing', the keys being numbered S and l, 2 and 3, 4 and 5, so that the uneven numbers all correspond to the act of compressing, and the even numbers to the act of drawing. After each set of three keys, K, I introduce an additional key, Kif, (marked 6,) which produces the sub-mediant,77 or greater sixth, both in drawing and in compressing. These additional keys separate the various octaves, one from the other, and facilitate the operation of playing the instrument.

On the bass side of this simple instrument I use only three keys-viz., one to open the waste-air valve, one to produce the tones l and 5, and one which is termed the choral 7 key, and which produces full chords both in drawing and in compressing.

If a more perfect instrument is desired, I make what I term the Diatonic Union Accordion,77 which is precisely the same as that previously described in its first row of keys, K, with the addition of a second row of keys, K', which contain the same tones as the rst row, and the minor seventh on the distinguishing keys Kii, in place of the sub-mediant, or greater sixth, contained on the distinguishing keys of the main row of keys K.

The keys Ki cont-ain the toile B-at, or a sharp, both in drawing and in compressing, and they form, with the keys l 3 5, a chord of the minor seventh, serving as transition from E major to F major. In consequence of this key the bass side of the instrument is augmented by two keys, 4L and 7, for the fundamental choral bass, and on this instrument all the chords of G, G, F, and B-at can be pro` duced. l

Thelast and most complete style ot'accordions is whatI term the Chromatic Union Accordion.77 The keys in this inst-rument are arranged precisely as shown inthe drawings, where Fig. l represents the treble side, and Fig. 2 the bass side.

This accordion contains all the keys described in the previous instruments, and also an additional set of keys, K2, on the treble Side, represen tin g the half-tonesviz., Osharp, or one sharp, D-sharp, or two sharps, &c., giving' the sametonein drawing and in compressingand consequently each octave contains six keys with double numbers and siX with single numbers, and by these keys the chromatic scale can be produced the same as on a pianoforte.

On this instrument the bass side is also provided with the requisite keys representing the half tones, there being twelve keys in all, the six large ones containing in drawing and compressing all twelve different fundamental bases, while the six small keys contain in drawing and compressing twelve distinct choral chords, corresponding to the fundamental bases.

The last part of my invention relates to a mechanism for changing the key from major to minor, and vice versa. This mechanism is represented vin Figs. 3, et, 5, and 6, and I intend to attach it to the last-named or chromatic aecordions particularly, although it may also be applied with advantage to the more simple classes of instruments. This mechanism consists of a rock-shaft, j, which extends through the air-chambers of all the choral reeds, and which is combined with a series of valves, k, which are secured to arms mounted on said rock-shaft, and which are so situated that they alternately close atene, j', in compressing and a tone, g, in drawing, a spring, Z, and a handlever, m, being applied to the rock-shaft, so that by the spring the valve is held in the position to leave the major key unchanged, and

' by depressing the hand-lever the key is changed from major to minor by changing' the large to the small third. This mechanism is very simple in its construction, and it enables the skillful player to perform on one of my instruments pieces of music of every key.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The distinguishing-keys Kit, giving the same tone both in drawing and compressing, and arranged in combination with the keys K, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

The above specication of my invention signed by ine this 28th day of December, 1865.

CARL FRIEDRICH ZIMMERMANN.

NVitnesses:

WM. DEAN OVERELL, M. M. LIvINGsToN. 

